Just weeks after Prime Minister David Cameron rejected calls for stricter gun controls [1] after a deranged man went on the rampage shooting 12 dead and injuring 11 others in Cumbria, another armed nutter is currently on the loose in neighbouring Northumbria. [2].

This self-confessed maniac has already shot his ex-girlfriend, her boyfriend and a policeman and has vowed to keep on shooting until the police kill him.

The common denominator between these two incidents is that both men used shotguns as weapons.

Incredibly, shotguns can still be legally sold, subject to licence, to members of the public here in the UK.

So, what's Cameron's reaction going to be to this latest shooting spree?

Still "no knee-jerk reaction" that will prevent his posh friends from owning shotguns to participate in hugely expensive game shooting parties on country estates [3], I'll be bound.

In other words, to the PM, the right of over-privileged toffs to shoot the heads off pheasants is more important than innocent members of the public and police officers' right to life.

It's sensible to express caution with new laws. It maybe the style of new labour to generate legislation blind to the consequences but perhaps Cameron does not want to pass laws on a whim.

How often does a nutter go on a rampage with a shotgun? We need some perspective here.

This certainly is not going to turn me against the tories, not when I have at least a dozen good reasons why I can never vote labour again. If the labour party was more like you, then I would change my mind... but you have placed your faith in a corrupt bankrupt party that no longer holds any of the principles that you do.

I am voting for Innomen because of his intelligence, common sense, humility and the fact that Juggle appears to listen to him. Any other Presidential style would have a large sub-section of the site up in arms. If I was President I would destroy the site though elitism, others would let it run riot. Innomen represents a middle way that works, neither draconian nor anarchic and that is the only way things can work. Plus he does it all without ego trips.

That's why there should be strict gun control. Not that it matters though, a criminal will obtain a gun regardless whether they decide to do it legally or illegally. with that said, I'm pretty much apathetic on this issue. :)

At 7/6/2010 10:45:13 AM, mongeese wrote:brian, if laws were passed against possession of a gun, wouldn't he just break the law and find one anyway? It's not like he cares about the law.

I'd say such things would happen less if there were less guns available.

Supply has never been a problem. Stop people from buying legal guns and they'll have them smuggled in. Stop guns from getting smuggled in and people will convert replicas or deactivated guns. Stop people from importing replicas and then you have people making guns from scratch in their garage. They only way to effectively stop the flow of weaponry is to cut off the flow of information as well.